Born March 11, 1922 and died November 5, 2002, Vinnette Carroll was an American playwright and actress.
First black woman to direct a play on Broadway (Dont Bother Me I Cant Cope - 1972)
Founder and artistic director of the Urban Arts Corps, an organization devoted to supporting black and Hispanic actors.
Has been nominated for Broadways Tony Award three times: in 1973, as Best Director for "Dont Bother Me, I Cant Cope;" and in 1977, as both Best Director and Best Book for "Your Arms Too Short to Box with God."
She was awarded the 1972 NAACP Image Award for Best Direction for the play, "Dont Bother Me, I Cant Cope" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
She was awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Direction for the musical, "Dont Bother Me, I Cant Cope," at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
[on the issue of Afro-American Theatre] We still need black theatre. But,I think we need to show black people just living, just trying to get,through the world with the problems other people have. Source:,Contemporary Authors interview with Jean W. Ross.
